Staff of government schools to be assigned Covid duties

In a letter issued on Monday, the Maharashtra education department has asked principals of all aided schools in the state to furnish information of teachers so that

In a letter issued on Monday, the Maharashtra education department has asked principals of all aided schools in the state to furnish information of teachers so that they can be asked to report for Covid-19 related duties if necessary.

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“With the rising number of cases in the state, many Covid centres are being set up in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) aided and private schools. For this, the services of teachers and non-teaching staff would be required. Principals are thus directed to furnish details of their staff,” reads the letter.

Last week, BMC’s education department had asked its staff to report to work as most municipal schools have been converted into quarantine centres. Officials said that many teachers failed to report to work. “Many said that they had gone to their respective hometowns before the lockdown. We have asked them to report immediately,” said an official.

While the letter does not specify the type of duties the school staff will be expected to do, sources in the education department said that the work could be related to the management of quarantine centres created in schools.

Teachers said that they are willing to do Covid-related duties if safety gear is being provided by the government. “Teachers should be given PPE kits, pick up and drop facility and insurance cover. If this is given, they won’t have an issue in taking up these duties,” said Uday Nare, a teacher at Hansraj Morarji Public School in Andheri.